MMA Fighting - Israel Adesanya Slams ‘Idiot’ Sean Strickland Ahead of UFC 293, Admits He’s ‘Rooting’ for Khamzat Chimaev

Episode Date: August 28, 2023

Ahead of UFC 293, UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya discusses his upcoming title defense against Sean Strickland and his reaction to Dricus Du Plessis passing on the fight due to a foot injury that prevented him from competing in September. Adesanya gives his thoughts on Strickland as an opponent and the wild things he says leading up to his fights. He also addresses where Du Plessis now sits in the pecking order and if he possibly missed out on getting the next title shot by not fighting him at UFC 293. Adesanya also addresses the upcoming middleweight fight between old rival Paulo Costa and Khamzat Chimaev, who is making his return to 185 pounds with a chance to jump right into title contention with a win. All this and much more in our special interview with Adesanya ahead of UFC 293 in Australia. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Subscribe: Spotify Read More: MMA Fighting Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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It's a thought-provoking sci-fi journey where identity, memory, and morality collide. Robert J. Sawyer does it again with this much anticipated sequel that leaves you asking, what are you willing to lose to save the ones you love? The downloaded two, ghosts in the machine. Available now, only from

Audible. This is not the Fighter versus the writer, although that is the intro of music. I'm Damon Martin, and today, rather than the podcast, we're actually going to be doing a special interview I did a couple days ago with UFC middleweight champion Israel Edisonia.

He's getting ready for his upcoming fight against Sean Strickland. And thanks to the good folks at stake.com. I got a few minutes with the champ to talk about. His upcoming fight with Sean Strickland, what happened with the whole Dracus Duplice situation and if Dracus is still next? His thoughts on Paulo Costa versus Hamzaa Chameh, which, of course, could play a factor in his future opponents

and things like that in the division. We also talk about some other fun stuff as well, including potential appearance by Israel Addisona in a horror movie in the future, which was an interesting conversation. So here is my conversation with the champ. Israel Adesonia, a couple weeks away from his next title defense at UFC 293 against Sean Strickland.

Appreciate taking a few minutes for me today. No worries. Thank you, man. So I know you don't do a ton of media, man. You got your own channel. So I appreciate you doing this. But I'll just start with the obvious question, man. How excited are you to fight close to home and headline another massive pay-per-view.

I'm very excited. It's been a while since I fought out these ways since my first defense of my title against Robert Whitaker. Yeah, so it's a good idea of the have all the homies. And even with the unfortunate news, Kai pulling out, Kevin Jusay, one of our teammates who's signed to the UFC and is fighting on the same card. So, yeah, I'm excited.

Absolutely. Listen, we all know what it was supposed to be on this card. It was going to be you and Dracus. There was a lot of hype for that fight. We knew it was, you know, after he beat Robert Whitaker and credit to him for getting the job done. And then he doesn't fight. He, you know, he's injured, he can't fight. And then we hear all the rumors about Sean Strickland.

He says maybe it was money. I heard maybe it was visa issues. I don't know. Was there ever any concern in the back of your head that, like, maybe this wouldn't happen? Or did you actually have concern once the whole Dracus thing happened? I just always had faith in myself. and faith in the USC that I'll fight. And I know the company, they trust me.

They trust me to handle business whenever it's time. So, yeah, I didn't really have too much doubt. Yeah, I know your focus has shifted to Sean Strickland, but I got to ask, like, was there, did you allow yourself a minute, five minutes, 10 minutes of disappointment? Because, listen, we are all looking forward to the Dracus fight. There was a lot of heat there.

We know what's gone on in the past, the things he said, all those and all the back story. Was there any disappointment that you had to switch? Yeah, definitely. But again, I'm not mad. I'm disappointed. He missed that on his opportunity. That would have been, but again, I think it's for the greater good.

For the greater good. So that's okay. When it happens, it will be one of the biggest fights in sporting history. So on due time. You say for the greater good, why for the greater good? Could happen to South Africa. Could happen somewhere in the great continent of Africa. It could happen to Nigeria and Morocco.

So, yeah, I think it'll be better if we happen. Even in South Africa, it would be better if we had in South Africa. I'd like to whip his ass in this whole country. Yeah. Is, again, I'm going to talk about Sean Strickland in a second, but is, is Dracca still next? Because obviously when you have these title fight opportunities, Israel, you know how this goes. You don't take it, whatever the case may be, things move on, you're fighting. in September. Who knows what's going to happen there? Obviously, we got a big fight coming up in October with Hamzaa Chamaa making his middleweight debut against Paulo Costa, a guy you're of course familiar with. Like, is Dracus still next or is there a chance he missed his opportunity?

We'll see. We'll see how I feel. And also, we'll see what, uh, what we'll see what's happening around that time. But, um, yeah, Dracus shouldn't have thought he could sit free in this division and just, hold on to his number one spot. I've never done that. I just go for the chances where they're there. That's how I fought. And this is over. That's how I fought for the title. You know,

you take the chances when they're in there. You don't wait and hope. So he'll learn. But we'll see, and I'll see how I feel because I call the shots. I'll say it's kind of wild. You're more active

than most of the contenders in your division and you're the champion. I look back, I think you had like four fights to the last like, whatever it is, like 12 to 14 months. Like that's wild.

And that's funny. I'm the one actually pushing for fights and I'm even trying to have one more this year. So again, we'll see. Can I ask real quick, do you? Can I ask your opinion on Hamzot and Paula? I'm just curious to what you think of that fight. And is there any part of you that's,

I don't say rooting for Hamzot because obviously it would be a new contender and you've already fought Paulo? Like, can I get your thoughts on that? I don't know who's going to win, but yeah, I think if I'm favoring, I might be favoring Hamza a little bit more because I like new blood.

but yeah I don't know I just made Polo look easy but trust me he's a hard fight he's a hard fight but I made him look easy but I think I'm ruining for Hamza more than that fight yeah I mean new blood right like you want new challengers and you pretty much rolled through everybody else besides

Strickland who you're about to fight and Dracus there's not a lot of other guys in the division you haven't already beaten so that would be a new guy exactly so now let me ask you about Sean Strickland because Sean is an interesting guy. Like, he's obviously a good fighter. You know, you wouldn't be here otherwise, but he, he says a lot of, let's say, interesting things, Israel. Is that a fair thing to say? Like,

he, I don't even know if he's trash talking as much as he just says some lunacy. Like, I don't, like, I don't know if he's ever actually playing mind games as much as he's like just in his own head. What do you make of Sean Strickland, both the fighter and the person? I honestly think he's an idiot, to be honest. I mean, he almost didn't get this fight because, of his just idiocracy is that the word

doesn't be retarded like he's just an idiot and I don't like I don't like the way he conducts himself even his sparring footage that just pop up my feed from time I'm just like

the fuck who does that like he's a gym hero yeah so yeah I don't know he's just a he's just an idiot and he's not the kind of person

that I associate myself with also it's Fugazi Like the way he is normally Like backstage He's not the same way he is When the crowds there When the crowd's there He puts on the clown

You know persona And tries to entertain people Which they love And it's cool But backstage he's not the same And I haven't put a little receipt Just one of them On a little clip I did

And I was like Fuck backstage If you wanted to have this energy At the press conference You could have this energy backstage. I thought I smacked you on the ass. But yeah, he's a fake guy.

Let me ask you this, Israel. You've been, I mean, obviously you know what it's like to go into your fights as a favorite. That's nothing new for you in your career and being championed, of course. But let's be honest, there's not going to be a lot of people picking Sean Strickland to win this fight. His coach, I talked to Eric Nixick a few weeks ago before the fight was official. And he said, and forgive my language, he said, oh, no, Israel is a horrible fucking matchup.

He's like, I'm not going to lie about that. a terrible matchup. But how do you, how do you get yourself past that? Because you're expected to win. We expect something spectacular. I mean, that's the, that's the greatness you've come to show us. But how do you, how do you live up to that? Like, how do you, how do you do that without getting lost in the, well, I know I should

beat this guy? No, I don't listen to people. That's why I only listen to me and my team. And already this guy is, uh, he's already just pissed me off with his, his energy, the way, the way he comes across and the way he's true. right to antagonize me. And like I said, he's an idiot. I'm not going to lose to an idiot.

Like he said, he's not going to lose to a guy who jerks off the car to whom he paints his nails. Well, I'm going to paint my nails for that fight, and I'm going to knock him out with my painting nails. Yeah, and you've had a lot of satisfying wins. I guess every one of them is satisfying, but it's always going to be more satisfying to knock out a guy like this and do it in front of a home crowd.

And do it with it. painting nails, my frosted tips. Like, I'm gonna paint my nails and knock them out. That vision right there, that gets me up. That's what motivates me, because I've had that vision of having my nails painted, knocking them out, and then just showing my nails to the camera. Look, with my frosted tips, I knock this bitch ass out.

So that vision right there, to make that vision come true, I've done everything in my power, and I'm doing everything in my power to make sure I've knocked this guy out. Yeah, you, as we like to say, just like what happened with the Alex Pereira fight, you keep receipts. You remember what happens and you will turn it back on them. So, Sean Strickland may live to regret some of the things he said. I might even go back to my hotel afterwards and jerk off to some cartoon porn before I go to the after party. Play out of pipes.

Get ready for the fucking ditches of Sydney. We'll see. Did you say that, I mean, again, I know this is putting cart before the horse, but like, is there a chance you said maybe one more this year? Is that realistic? Yeah, definitely. So the UFC. Yeah, absolutely. So like maybe December?

Go see. Two quick ones before I get you out here, Israel. I know that just recently you had a chance to meet up with John Jones. You guys kind of put the beef behind you. I know you even said at some point

you might train together. Are you planning on being in New York for his fight with Stepe? Is that one you look forward to watching? I'll probably be here for that. fight. I've got some other obligations to do, but yeah, we talked about the fight, and I look forward to watching that fight. Good to kind of put that negative energy behind you, whatever was between you guys, seem like you guys had a good interaction. I like seeing that.

Yeah, it was good to put that negative energy, negative spirit behind us and move forward as men. And last one, so a couple weeks ago, about a month ago, I had a chance to interview the guys who did the movie Talk to Me, Danny and Michael Philippa, and they found out I do MMA. And they had no interest in talking about their number one box office movie. All they wanted to talk to me about was meeting Israel at Dysanya and having that. They were so excited to meet you. And I asked them, I said, listen, you got the sequel now.

What are the chances you get Israel to star and talk to me the sequel? And they freaked out. They're like, oh, my God, we would love that. So last question. Is there a chance? Would you team up with those guys and make a small appearance in the talk to me? me sequel. Fuck, yes.

I play. I watch the first one and my favorite horror movie this year so far. I don't know. It's hard to beat. It's going to be hard to beat. And yeah, just to, even I, there's some things I want to talk to me about that movie personally. But on part two, fuck yeah, I'll do it.

And already we're in talks about doing another more on-brand film that I can't talk about. But the thing about casting me as, a main character and something, but again, fighting comes first. I'm not doing the Hollywood stuff, you know, past fighting. So fighting comes first. And even if it's a small camera a bit, we'll make it happen. But talk to me or, you know, whatever movie they want to do. I'm always king.

Israel, I appreciate the time, man. Obviously, I best luck the rest of your way in training. You don't need my luck to say that. But I look forward to seeing you back in action in September. Thank you for taking some time for me. Damon, you're funny. Thank you. I appreciate that.

soon. Bye-bye. See you. You're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network.